Research reveals emotional attachment to fast-food brands influences diet quality even among the health-conscious

A study by the University of Technology Sydney uncovers how emotional ties to fast-food and soft drink brands can shape perceptions and eating habits, potentially undermining nutritional awareness and public health efforts.

A fondness for familiar fast-food and sugar-sweetened drink brands may be more than a passing preference: researchers at the University of Technology Sydney say it can flag a poorer overall diet, even among people who believe those brands are unhealthy. The study, published in the Journal of Health Communication, suggests that emotional attachment to a brand can be linked to higher intakes of saturated fat and sugar, with brand loyalty appearing to shape perceptions as well as eating habits.

The researchers tested adults in Australia and the US, asking them about their attitudes towards branded fast food and soft drinks, how healthy they thought those products were, and what they ate. They found that people who felt more positively about those brands tended to consume more fat and sugar, and also rated the brands as healthier. The finding suggests that nutrition knowledge alone may not be enough to counter the effect of repeated marketing and familiarity.

Dr Poppy Watson, a senior author of the study at UTS, said brand attachment appeared to be a powerful predictor of dietary choices regardless of whether someone recognised a product as unhealthy. Dr Mike Kendig, also a senior lecturer in medical science at UTS, said the strongest driver of health judgements was not simply what people knew about nutrition, but how much they liked the brand.

The study fits with a wider body of evidence showing that fast food is often linked with worse diet quality and higher calorie intake. Previous research has found that frequent fast-food consumption is associated with poorer overall eating patterns and higher body weight, while analyses of menu offerings have repeatedly concluded that many items remain high in fat, sugar and sodium. The UTS team says the implication is broader than individual choice: aggressive marketing may be helping to normalise foods that public health experts want people to eat less often.

That concern is particularly relevant in countries such as Australia and the US, where the researchers noted that a substantial share of adult calories comes from discretionary foods and drinks, including burgers, chips and ice cream. The study authors argue that public health campaigns focused only on education may not be enough if branding continues to shape what people think is healthy. They say tighter limits on junk-food advertising deserve serious consideration, alongside existing efforts to improve nutrition awareness.